Artificial limb



A. E. TULLls ARTIFICIAL LIMB Jan. l0, 1933.

Filed Deu. l5. 1951 Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES Amos E. TULLIs,or MrNNnAronrsivrINNr-sora Aa'rrrrcran 131MB Application mea December15.11931. seriai No. 581,208.

This invention relates to artificial limbs.

An obj ect of the invention is the provision of an artificial limbhaving a plurality of air cushions so placed that they will take up theirregularities in the amputated member to provide a yielding supportingsurface for said amputated limb.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an artificial limbhaving a socket portion provided with a plurality of passages in theside walls thereof and an annular groove located externally of thesocket, said socket being received by a shell, an elastic tube receivedwithin the groove and adapted to be iniiated for forcing the tubethrough the openings to provide cushions at particular points in thesocket for aiding in comfortably supporting an amputated member.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawingforming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that the invention is notconned to the disclosure, beingsusceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define nomaterial departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an artiiicial limb constructed inaccordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is avertical section taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 3, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the socket shown in Fig. 1 with partsbroken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 10 designates asubstantially rigid body portion of an artificial limb which has a shell11 surrounding the same and secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 2. Asocket, gen* erally designated by the numeral 12, which is adapted toreceive the amputated portion of a limb, rests upon the upper end 13 ofthe hollow body portion 10.

The socket is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 14: atpredetermined points in the socket for a purpose which will be presentlyexplained. An annular groove 15 encircles the exterior of the socket andspans ,the annular tube 25.

the openings 111 so that a peripheral portion 16 ofA the openings 14;will be slightly thinner than the body portion of the socket 12.

:Aninner liner in theformof a sleeve20 issuspended from the upper end ofthe socket 12 andy projects loosely into the socketsand proJect-spartially into the upper lend of the hollow body portion 10 oftheartificial limb. The liner at its upper end is providedwith a iange 21located exteriorly of the socket and 6@ is disposed between the shell 11and the outer wall of the socket. The liner is made of flexible materialsuchas fabric orl it maybe made 'of any form `of elastic material, such`4as rubber, if desired., w 'i x An .endless elastic tube 25 is locatedwithin the annular groove Y15. This tubemay be made of any material suchas rubber :which will permit portions of the tube toexpand when filledwith air in order to force Vthe portions of .the vtube through theopenings 14 to` provide airl cushions as indicated at 26. A tube 27`formed of any hard material is connectedwith an opening in the tubularvalveto permit the tube 25 to be filled with air in any well knownmanner. A liner 30 formed of. fabric is mountedA in lthe groove 15 `andembraces the inner face of thevtube ymember 25andis,provided with theusual, 75

25. The liner is soconstructed that it will be lforced through'theopenings 14 whenvthe proper `amount of air has been supplied to A secondliner 32,embraces the outer face of the annular tube 25 and flatlycontacts with theinner wallof the sleeve 20, after which air issuppliedl through the feed 27 until the portions of the annular aintube25 have moved through the openings .14: 1n the socket 12for engagingandsupporting` thek amputated member. At this time theliner 30 is movedinwardly .through said 95 openings and in engagement with the sleeve 1.An artificial limb comprising a substan'; tially" rigid socket memberhaving openings in the side walls thereof, a shell embracing saidsocket, a liner formed of flexible material suspended within the socket,an elastic tube located between the outer wall of the socket 5 and theshell, valve means through which air may be forced for inflating thetube so that the portion of the tube within the openings will beinflated and provide cushioning means for the amputated member.

2. An artificial limb comprising a substantiallyl rigid socket member'having openings in the side walls thereof, a shell embracing saidsocket, a liner formed of flexible material suspended within the socket,an elastic tube located between the outer wall of the socket and theshell, valve means through which air may be forced for inflating thetube so that the portion of the tube within the openings will beinflated and provide cushioning means for the amputated member, a secondliner located between the inner wall of the elastic tube and the outerwall of the socket.

3. An artificial limb comprising a substantially rigid socket memberhaving openings in the side walls thereof, a shell embracing saidsocket, a liner formed of flexible material suspended within the socket,an elastic tube located between the outer wall of the socket and theshell, the inner face of the tube adacent the openings beingunsupported, valve means through which air may be forced for inflatingthe tube so that the portions of the tube opposite the openings willproject inwardly through the openings and form cushioning means for anamputated member.

4. An artificial limb comprising a substantially rigid socket memberhaving openings in the side walls thereof, a shell embracing saidsocket, a liner formed of flexible material suspended within the socket,an endless elastic tube located between the outer wall of the socket andthe shell, valve means through which air may be forced for inflating thetube so that the portion of the tube Within the openings will beinflated'and provide cushioning means for the amputated member, theouter wall of the socket being provided with an annular groove toreceive the annular elastic tube.

5. An artificial limb comprising a. substantially rigid socket memberhaving openings in the side walls thereof, a shell embracing saidsocket, a liner formed of flexible material suspended within the socket,an endless elastic 'tubelocatedbetween the outer wall of the socket andthe shell, valve means through which air may be forced for inflating thetube so that the portion of the tube within the openings will beinflated and provide eushionin g means for the amputated member, theouter wall of the socket being provided with an annular groove toreceive the annular elastic tube, and a liner located exteriorlT of thetube and held in place by the shell.

55 AMOS E. TULLIS.

